A Comparison of Treatment Environments in Community-Based Group Homes for Adolescent Offenders

Abstract

Evaluations of community-based programs for delinquents have usually addressed differential outcomes or cost-efficiency, but generally ignored the treatment environments themselves. Yet milieu characteristics are important in assessing treatment quality. The present research examined several environmental dimensions in 11 group home programs. Teaching-Family programs scored significantly higher on observational and self-report measures of staff-youth relationships and interactions, staff teaching activities and disapproval of deviance, the family-likeness and pleasantness of the program atmosphere, and the extent of prosocial behavior displayed by the participants. Several of the measures were significantly negatively correlated with self-reported delinquency. The results suggest that, contrary to some stereotypes, behavioral programs can be pleasant, positive, and familylike while offering structured treatment.

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